Toy balloon



Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES JAMES F. MULHOLLAND, or ooLUMBUs, OHIO.

roY BALLOON.

Applieation fil ed January 11, 1923. SerialNo. 612,125:

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known thatI, James F. MULHOD LAND," a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Columbus, in the county 50f Franklin and State'of @hio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Balloons, of which the following is a specificationv My presentinvention relates generally to toys and more particularly to toy balloons of that nature which ared'esigned to be sold in knocked-down defiated condition for inflation and erection by the purchaser, my pri1nary object being the "provision of a highly interesting device of this nature which em bodiesa minimum number of parts and of which the parts' are such as to permit of easy quick erection and of mutual cooperation, When erected, tounaintain the integrity of the toy as a-wholel In the accompanying: drawing which illustrates my present invention and forms a part or this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation,

Figure 2 is a 'sideelevation,

Figure dis a horizontal section through thecar or basket taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figuret is a fragmentary side'view' showing the overlapping-ends of the strip of material forming: the caror basket,

Figure '5 is a plan view of the cut-out blank for the car or basket, 1

Figure 6 is a plan view'of the cut-out disk forming the base of thercanorbasket.

Figure 7 is side view showing the ring wlth'the bag holding connections depending therefrom, I

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side view of a ortion of thecar or basketillustrating a slightly modified form, I

Figure 9 is a sectional side view illus trat-ing the connection of one of the bag holding, members accordingto the form shown inFigure 8, and

FigurelO is a view similar to Figure at illustrating a slightly modified construction of inflation with air, maybe carried by a top-'r1ng 11 and'which IIICHSB OflllfifltlOn with gas so that thetoy as a whole is lighter to the beforementioned ring'll and'whoselower ends are connected tothe upper edge of the car or basket 14 at spaced points around the latter so that the series ofconnections thus embrace the bag 10 and hold the latter iirconnection with the car or basket 14.

The car or basket 14 isformed from an elongated rectangular strip of material 16 as shown in Figure 5 and-forthepurpose of connection with the lower ends of the attaching members 15 this stripof material; 1

mayhave along-itsup'per edge'a series of openings 17 through'which the'low'er ends of' the several attaching members may be tied. This particular connection may how ever be varied to the extent of providing'the strip '16 with openings of-slightly different shape, as for instance o1: enings17" as seen in Figure 8 Within theillustratedportion of a strip 16, each opening 'coi'nmunicatingl with an inverted V shaped notch- 17 b where by each of the flexibleconnections oneof which is indicated at 15 inFigure 9 may have a lower knotted or, otherwise enlarged end 15 capable of extension through the opening 17 a and of engagement within the notch 17 Inthe formation of the car or'basket 141, the strip 16 of-Figure '5-is bent to circular form with overlapping connected ends 18 which as seen in Figures 4i: and Smayh'ave registering apertures 19 for the reception of any suitable form of pin fasteners or,- overlapping ends as indicated at 18 in Fig-- nice 10 and may be connected by clips 20 embracing the upper and lower portions of said overlapping ends: 7

The strip 16 in the formation of the car or basketleis preferably-cutout bymeans, of a die operation from a section of material sufficiently fiexiblefor the purpose and'with cut-out {portions 21 in a series therealong: which in the completedform of the carer basket represent windows; The strip? is alsocut out with series of figures 22 within the cut-out portions 21 and upstanding from the lower edges of these cut-out portions, the figures being thus of the same material and readily flexible to an extent suflicient to permit certain thereof to be bent outwardly at an angle as indicated at 22 in Figure 1 so as to represent these particular figures as looking downwardly from the balloon.

The strip 16 is also cut out with openings 23 at spaced points along its lower edge and a base is also cut out, preferably by a die operation, in the .form of a disk 24; as seen particularly in Figures 3 and 6, with a central opening 25 through which the flexible control connection 12 may depend and with radially outstanding extensions 26 the latter of which are adapted to project through the lower openings 23 of the car or basket so that when the latter is secured in the circular form the base or disk 24 will be locked in place'and it is to be noted that this base or disk being connected within the car or basket presents a circular peripheral edge against the inner surface of the car or basket at the lower end of the latter and thus cooperates with the bag 10 in preventing ready collapse or distortion of the car or basket. 7

The series of flexible attaching members 15, before described, may be accompanied by an elongated flexible flag holding connection 27 as seen in Figures 2 and 7, intermediate the ends of which a flag 28 may be secured, this connection being preferably extended to the lower edge of the car or basket as in Figure 2.

The car or basket may also have an anchor 29 depending therefrom by virtue of a flexible connection 30 permanently attached to the strip 16, the latter of which it will be observed from Figures 1 and 2 may have its outer surface suitably embellished or ornamented after formation by printing, lithographing and the like.

In the manufacture of my improved toy balloon it is contemplated that the bag 10 will be supplied purchasers in deflated condition along with a strip 16 and detached base disk 2 1 from which it is obviously an easy quick operation for the purchaser to perform and complete the car or basket and, after inflation of the bag 10 assemble the toy complete by extending the flexible attaching members around the bag and securing the same to thecar or basket and it will be observed that according to my improved construction the purchaser is supplied with but four major parts, namely the bag, the strip 16 from which the car or basket is formed, the base or disk 24 and the ring 11 with its several attaching connections or members 15 so thatthere is thus little likelihood of loss or misplacement of any of the parts and but simple instructions need be supplied in order that the toy as a whole may be successfully erected and thereafter maintained. 7 a

I .claim:

1. A toy balloon including a spherical inflated bag, a car or basket consisting of a strip of material bent into circular form and open at its upper end to receive a portion of the bag therein, means extending around the bag and engaging the upper edge of the basket to hold the balloon in place, and a disk detachably mounted within the lower portion of the car or basket forming the base thereof and cooperating with the balloon in holding the car or basket in its circular form.

2. A toy balloon including a spherical in-V flated bag, a car or basket consisting of a strip of material, bent into circular form and open at its upper end to receive a portion of the bag therein, means extending around the bag and engaging the upper edge of the basket to hold the balloon in place, and a disk detachably mounted within the lower portion of the car or basket forming the base thereof and cooperating with the balloon in holding the car or basket in its circular form, said strip of material constituting the car or basket having overlapping connected ends and having openings therearoun-d adjacent to its lower edge, and said disk having radially outstanding extensions projecting through the said openings.

3. A toy balloon including a spherical inflated bag, a car or basket consisting of a strip of material bent into circular form and open at its upper end to receive a portion of the bag therein, a disk detachably mount ed within the lower portion of the car or basket, forming the base the-reof and cooperating with the bag in holdingthe car in its circular form, said strip of material having overlapping connected ends and a series of openings therethrough adjacent to the upper edge thereof, and a ring havmg a series of flexible attaching members extending therefrom for connection through the said openings of the said strip and embracing the bag to hold the latter in place.

1-. A toy balloon including a spherical inflated bag, a car or basket consisting of a strip of material bent into circular form and open at its upper end to receive a portion of the bag therein, a disk detachably mounted within the lower portion of the car or basket, forming the base thereof and cooperating with the bag in holding the car in its circular form, said strip of material having overlapping connected ends and a series of openings therethrough adjacent to the upper edge thereof, and a ring having a series of flexible attaching members extending therefrom for connection through the said openings of the said strip and embracing the bag to hold the latter in place, said openings of said strip having V-shaped recesses adjoining the same and said flexible attaching members having en- 5 larged lower ends to extend through the openings and for engagement in the recesses.

5. A toy balloon including a spherical inflated bag, a car or basket open at itsupper end to receive a portion of the bag, flexible 1 means embracing the bag and connected to the upper edge of the car or basket to hold the bag in connection therewith, said car or basket consisting of a strip of material having overlapping connected ends and having cut-out portions representing members 15 and figures within said cut-out portions upstanding from the lower edges thereof, said figures being flexible and adapted to be bent outwardly for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have atfixed my 20 signature.

JAMES F. MULHOLLAND. 

